Half Marathon Entries to go on Auction

Runners who missed out on an Old Mutual Two Oceans half marathon entry will have the chance to bid for one when 21 charity entries go up for auction, as part of a major fundraising initiative for the Two Oceans Marathon Initiative (TOMI), the event’s charity foundation.

Bidding for the 21 half marathon entries is scheduled to open on Thursday 1 December 2011. Entries open at R900 each and provide those participants who missed the entry deadline with a chance to secure a half marathon entry. Interested participants can post their bid at www.oldmutual.co.za/twooceansmarathon

The auction runs for 21 days until Wednesday 21 December 2011, with one entry awarded to the highest bidder of each day. Winners will be announced the day after each bid. Winning bids will also receive a PUMA product voucher and their race entry includes an ‘A’ seeding. The top two successful bids will each receive an invite to the VIP hospitality area at the finish line on race day.

Race director Rowyn James said that entries for the 2012 Old Mutual Two Oceans half marathon closed in a record time of nine days and the office and social media sites have been inundated with calls and appeals from disappointed runners who missed out. “This is a way for us to help a few of them, while also raising funds for our charity drive TOMI.”

A record field of 16 000 will line up in Newlands on Easter Saturday 7 April making it the biggest field ever, as well as the biggest half marathon in the country.

“The auction was first introduced for the 2009 event and has proved to be a successful, yet novel way to raise some extra funds for charity. It provides those select few who weren’t able to get an entry with a chance to still run the event and support a worthy cause at the same time,” said Joy Khaole, Head: Group Sponsorships, Old Mutual.